The aftermath of the Lakers’ disastrous season so far has more or less resembled how the team looked on the field: a mess. From the mismanagement of Frank Vogel’s firing (leaking the news before he tells him) to the anonymous reports playing the blame, no one in Los Angeles comes close to a sense of responsibility for what was one of The most incredibly disappointing seasons in recent NBA history. As LeBron James – still the most important figure in the franchise – approaches his 20th season, he and the Lakers can not afford to mess up another summer. This means that both sides must stop wasting each other’s time.
Let’s start here: Even with yet another championship banner added to the rafters, James ’Lakers tenure has leaned more toward disappointment than success. Compare James’s first four years in LA to his four-year run in Miami, his second stay in Cleveland, or even his last four seasons during his first Cavs season, and the Lakers experiment has no doubt (said enough!) Been worst. James made it to the finals each year in Miami and during his second Cleveland stay. From 2007 to ’10, he played in a final, a conference final and the second round twice – the latter three times he lost to the team that would represent the East in the championship round. In LA, James has failed to get into the playoffs twice, and when he did, the Lakers only came out of the first round once.
When you have James on your team, the goal is not just to win one ring. Of course, the expectation of winning literally every year is also unrealistic. But it’s certainly not too much to ask – based on James’ own standards – for him at least play for a legitimate candidate every season.
James and the Lakers were a very sensible marriage on paper. James was the superstar the franchise desperately needed after a largely lost decade in the wake of the 2010 final. Meanwhile, James joined a new team that once again offered him the flexibility to recruit other stars to join him, a task much more difficult when he was in Cleveland. And yet neither side has been able to take full advantage of the benefits offered by the others.
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The Lakers’ front office deserves praise for acquiring Anthony Davis, a move that directly led to a title. They have also missed too many moves. The Lakers with James should have their selection of ring-hungry vets that can make an impact on a good team. His best lineups over the course of his career have almost always included 3-and-D types that can give him room to operate. Instead, the Lakers have often skewed too old or too strongly toward non-shooters. And that’s even before we get to the Russell Westbrook trade, not re-signing Alex Caruso, not initially hiring Ty Lue or the organization’s fascination with centers with AD right there. As much pressure as James puts on a front office, the recipe for the type of team to be put around him is not like the formula for Coca-Cola. It’s obvious what works, and even when the Lakers had something good, they walked away from it.
James, however, is not immaculate. He played a heavy role in bringing Westbrook to the team, a confusing miscalculation that has severely handicapped this phase of his career. James’ motives each time he changed teams contained crowds, but pretty much his free decisions also gave him an incredible chance of winning. Teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh was unmanageable. Dropping a falling Wade for Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love was shrewd. Based on the best versions of his championship run, it’s hard to tell why Westbrook made sense for James. And with such an attractive market in Los Angeles for so many players around the league, how can you find someone whose fit is unclear at best? What if James had demanded Caruso come back? What if he went after Patty Mills as hard as he did Westbrook?
Even with a championship in hand, this hardly feels like the best James and Lakers can do together. Neither party has kept their end of the trade when it comes to building something sustainable. And with how effective James remains on the field, it’s honestly unforgivable for this team to be so far lost in the desert.
There is still hope for the Lakers. Last offseason James and Davis had a full summer to get their bodies right, they led the team to the best record in the West and an NBA title. It was, of course, the same summer that the front office switched to Davis. If history is to repeat itself, then James and the Lakers must stop wasting the benefits they have available.
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